starting to butterfly

Dima-- There is a stroke clinic at the U on April 16th. That is a while away, but thats the only one that I know about right now. I am for sure going to go!!

Originally posted by EyeoreSAM Dima-- There is a stroke clinic at the U on April 16th. That is a while away, but thats the only one that I know about right now. I am for sure going to go!! Awesome!!!I'll go!Are stroke clinics all about correcting the stroke or also instructing how to do the stroke to those who never tried it before?How can I find out more info about it?How much does it usually cost? Thanks

Originally posted by aquageek Butterfly isn't too complicated but can look intimidating. I suggest you go to a stroke clinic or hire a coach for a private lesson for an hour or so. I went to a clinic this summer to bone up on some things and learned a whole lot. I've been much more comfortable since. I keep hearing about stroke clinics and stuff like that but I am so new to swimming that I have to admit I am not quite aware of what that exactly is and how it works.Is that expensive? Thanks.

I've always been partial to one arm fly to really feel the undulation effect(teeter-totter ) Keep one hand extended in front of you while you cycle thru your stroke with one arm. I do one arm down the lane and the opposite one back. Good luck hooked-on, when my butterfly is feeling good I feel powerful in the water, and I feel like I'm in good shape.

When I was a young age grouper (about 11) my coach saw that my "butterfly" was missing something. Specifically, it was missing the second kick. My coach explained that for every arm pull, I was dolphin kicking one time. Simple enough, but wrong. Butterfly is in fact two kicks for each arm pull. I was mostly pulling myself through the water rather than kicking and pulling myself. Here's the remedy he devised: he made me swim butterfly by holding my arms outstretched in front until I kicked two dolphin kicks. Then I pulled my arms through one complete stroke to the start (outstretched in front of me) where I held them again. Then I kicked two dolphin kicks. Then I pulled my arms through to the starting position (outstretched in front). And so on and so on. In order to do this, I had to grab my thumbs to keep from pulling until I had kicked twice. What eventually happened was my arms would begin their pull while I was making the second kick. As I began to adjust to the rhythm of the timing sequence, my fly developed into the normal two-kick, one-pull stroke its supposed to be. I also realized I had more endurance because I was kicking twice as much, giving my arms a break. The short axis motion/rotation developed along with this drill. It worked pretty well for me and I became a decent butteflyer in my teens. At 40, I need more lung capacity, need to strengthen my abs and lose my beer belly. But the rhythm is still there. Good luck with your quest.

Originally posted by Fred Johnson Here's the remedy he devised: he made me swim butterfly by holding my arms outstretched in front until I kicked two dolphin kicks. Then I pulled my arms through one complete stroke to the start (outstretched in front of me) where I held them again. Then I kicked two dolphin kicks. Then I pulled my arms through to the starting position (outstretched in front). And so on and so on. In order to do this, I had to grab my thumbs to keep from pulling until I had kicked twice. What eventually happened was my arms would begin their pull while I was making the second kick. As I began to adjust to the rhythm of the timing sequence, my fly developed into the normal two-kick, one-pull stroke its supposed to be That was one AWESOME advice!I tried it and i finally found the rhythm, it felt so cool!And I could do two kicks per pull too!!!One problem I encounterd though was not that great of a rhythm when I had to breathe, but when I kept my head underwater, it was so uch better.Maybe I am raising my chin too high, I will fix that soon. Thanks a bunch!

Originally posted by hooked-on-swimming That was one AWESOME advice!I tried it and i finally found the rhythm, it felt so cool!And I could do two kicks per pull too!!!One problem I encounterd though was not that great of a rhythm when I had to breathe, but when I kept my head underwater, it was so uch better.Maybe I am raising my chin too high, I will fix that soon. Thanks a bunch! So happy to hear this was not just drivel. The thanks go to my first true swim coach, Bill Malchow, where ever he is today. (That's only the tip of the ice berg of the guidance he gave me - much of which had little to do with swimming - like how to burp really loud!). Breathing comes from kicking (Confusious say....). What I think this means is the stronger the second kick, the further out of the water your upper torso (including your head) rise out of the water. (Can you see it?) The second kick propels your upper body out of the water for the air you crave! This is a matter of (1) strength in your legs, abs and torso, and (2) lung capacity (to hold on until you get clear of the surface). But all of this activity is a matter of training. The rhythm is the start; the strength comes as you practice. I should not have implied that it comes quickly; it doesn't. You may swallow a lot of water (I did) but if it worked initially, keep pushing. Good luck.

I don't know how helpful it is in the learning process but one of the main things that distinguishes butterfly from butterstruggle is whether the butt break the surface. Most people who haven't got the stroke down yet never get their hips up to the surface. It's a relatively easy thing to check as you try to figure out how your stroke is developing. Another thing to be aware of is the one kick versus two kick stroke. The TI approach develops a one kick stroke and if you are not aware of that it can be confusing.